Phèdre once more hints that if she had only known then what was to come … ya know what?  I don't give a shit what's to come.  DNF.

I realize I let my impression of her childhood as being groomed into child trafficking color my opinion of this.

But, holy cow, what is in this for me to get into?  I'm not bowled over by the writing -- it's decent but hardly immersive or that excellent.  I don't like the society, the characters, the storyline of pandering out these kids even though as promised at the 25% mark she at least is sounding more adult, the so-called politics that are supposed to be such hot shit with this pederast's wet dream and justification of child abuse and slavery.

I usually DNF very quickly.  I held out hope that this one might pick up enough to make me forget the beginning chapters because so well-recommended and because was reading for a booklikes bookclub August read.  I hate to bail on a bookclub read ...

Ugh.

If you do want to join in the bookclub read, it's at http://booklikes.com/book-clubs/88/tor-monthly-free-ebook-science-fiction-and-fantasy 

Well, I have a friend whose reading tastes I normally share who adores this series.  I can already see where it could grow into some very complex, interesting politics/worldbuilding.

Right now, kinda meh on it.  I knew going in the main character would like pain (and nothing squicky like torturing or molesting children is happening although the system is exploiting them and risking such things ).  She has just turned 10 -- not unusual for fantasy genre books to start with someone's childhood -- where I expect it gets more interesting as she gets older.

Just basically right now she's been sold by mother to be raised in a temple(?) that's basically a brothel and then sold into what amounts to slavery from what I'm reading ("indentured servitude" for a decade or so if had been permitted to stay in the whorehouse ... er ... temple).  May say something about my reading tastes, but not that shocking or that interesting yet.  

Again, there are glimpses of a larger story where I can see this being a series I can get into.  Just not that exciting yet, she's not old enough to be that interesting or aware yet, and from her child's viewpoint not much known of this world yet.  

Very early in book.  I can get interested in a series if I can get interested in a character, a plot line, or the worldbuilding -- so, we'll see.  (I am past the days of hearing that book #2 or #5 or whatever in a series will hook me, I do need to remotely like the first book.)

* * *

Reading this in August for bookclub http://booklikes.com/book-clubs/88/tor-monthly-free-ebook-science-fiction-and-fantasy .

Feel free to join in; any edition can be used.

Find more book clubs at http://booklikes.com/book-clubs .

Reading this in August for bookclub http://booklikes.com/book-clubs/88/tor-monthly-free-ebook-science-fiction-and-fantasy .

Feel free to join in; any edition can be used.

Find more book clubs at http://booklikes.com/book-clubs .